Incredible Fireball Over US Sky: Was it a Meteor or a Starlink Satellite? (WATCH NOW)

A breathtaking fireball lit up the night sky across four U.S. states, with citizens left in awe as they witnessed what turned out to be the fiery descent of a SpaceX Starlink satellite. This dazzling event took place on Saturday, November 9, just after 10:00 PM Central Standard Time, capturing the attention of eager stargazers.

The American Meteor Society reported a flurry of eyewitnesses, with at least 36 separate accounts flooding in from spectators in Colorado, Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. Most of these sightings were concentrated around the Oklahoma City and Dallas-Fort Worth areas, where people described the phenomenon as unforgettable.

It quickly became clear that this stunning fireball was not a typical meteor. According to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer from the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the source was likely a Starlink satellite designated Starlink-4682. This satellite was launched as part of a batch of 54 satellites during the Starlink 4-23 mission back in 2022.

McDowell elaborated that the Starlink-4682 seemed to have reentered Earth’s atmosphere over a track that passed through Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and Oklahoma. "It appears to have been widely observed," he noted on social media.

Eyewitness accounts are pouring in, and the excitement is palpable. One witness, Kevin W. from McKinney, Texas, exclaimed, “Best sighting ever!” Another enthusiastic observer from Canton, Texas, proclaimed it to be “the most amazing thing I've seen in a really long time.” Many reported seeing the fireball fragment into smaller pieces as it blazed through the sky—a truly mesmerizing spectacle.

But there’s more to the story than just the thrill of the sighting. As SpaceX ramps up its launches of Starlink satellites, there is growing concern about the environmental impacts of these reentries. The process of satellites burning up upon reentry releases aluminum oxide into the atmosphere, which can pose risks to Earth's delicate ozone layer and its ability to reflect sunlight. This alteration could significantly affect the upper atmosphere's temperature.

Minkwan Kim, an associate professor of astronautics at the University of Southampton, warned that if measures are not taken to address the issue, we could face severe global impacts within the next decade.

While this spectacular fireball attracted significant attention, it's essential to note that the majority of these satellite reentries go unnoticed. In fact, McDowell emphasizes that a Starlink satellite reenters the atmosphere nearly every day, with some days seeing multiple reentries.

With the night skies becoming a stage for such dazzling displays, it raises the question: How many of us are unknowingly witnessing the fiery farewell of these satellites overhead? As SpaceX continues its ambitious mission to provide global internet coverage, the balance between excitement and environmental responsibility lies at the forefront of this modern space age.